The Blessed One
by Beanacre0
Summary: Deep in the Savannah a cub is born, one born without sight but who has an amazing gift. He can see the future. His Pride views him as a bad omen and believe he should be killed, so his mother and uncle take him and run. They journey across Africa, keeping him safe from the pride and the other dangers lurking in the wild. They have one goal. To get him to Kilimanjaro.
1. Chapter 1

This is my The Lion King story, based on some characters I've adopted on Deviantart :) Hope you enjoy it!

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**Chapter One**

**The Blessing**

The hot African sun began its slow ascent into the sky and the chill of night was burned away. The birds began to sing from their tree top perches and the ground began to haze as the sun's rays burrowed their heat within it. A roar startled several of the singing birds into flight.

"Get this thing out of me!"

A dusky lioness lay on the cool floor of a cave, her razor sharp claws digging futilely into the hard rock below. She was panting heavily and her swollen stomach heaved with every breath. Her violet eyes were fixed on a tawny lioness by her side.

"For Kings sake, Imani, didn't you hear m-ahhh!"

She let another pained roar and buried her face in the dirt that had gathered on the cave floor. She couldn't take it anymore. She had been in labour ever since the sun had set the night before and she was so tired. She wanted to rest, but the blasted shaman refused to let her. She kept telling her to push and to keep going.

The lioness, Imani, narrowed her own light green orbs at her patient. "I keep telling you, Ashia, the cub will come when he is good and ready. I can't force him out of you."

Ashia sighed and a tear rolled down her cheek. "But I'm so tired."

Her voice was weak and bordered on pathetic. Imani rolled her eyes and shook her head. She had been a midwife to many of the lionesses in the pride, but Ashia's was certainly the loudest, and the longest, birth she had ever attended.

"Stop whining like a cub." She muttered. "Just get on with it."

The pregnant lioness gave her an incredulous look. "Get on with it? Do you know what this feels like?"

"Yes, I do. I birthed my own three sons in silence and on my own. I didn't have someone here to hold my paw."

Ashia growled low in her throat and looked away. She locked her gaze onto a stone lying not too far away. She could feel another contraction creeping up on her and she really didn't want to do it again. She felt as though every muscle in her body was quivering with exhaustion but still her cub refused to enter the world.

Stupid thing.

Imani checked the female's progression and sighed in relief. About time. One more push and the cub would finally be born, and she could leave Ashia and her complaining behind.

"One more push."

Summoning all her strength, the lioness bore down and pushed as hard as she could. She couldn't see what was going on, but she heard the soft thump as the cub slid out onto the ground. She lay her head down on the ground and thanked the Kings that the earth under her cheek was cool. She needed it after that night.

Imani approached and severed the umbilical cord with her sharp claws. With another swipe, the sac was broken and the cub was free from its bindings. Almost immediately, a loud wailing began to fill the cave. It was the cub announcing his arrival into the world.

The shaman carefully picked up the youngster and placed him beside his tired mother's side. She then turned and left the two alone. After all, a mother needed time to bond with her child and Ashia wasn't exactly the mothering type.

'Perhaps she'll surprise us all.' Imani thought, glancing back at the cave with a small smile.

The cub's mew continued as the new mother lay on the ground. Her brow began to furrow and her brow deepened with every cry. Finally she sat and glared at her new child. It didn't last long though. She paused and studied the cub.

His pelt was dark brown and dotted with pale markings forming the same pattern that had attracted her to the cub's father when they first met. She tilted her head a little. She couldn't see much of herself in the child. His nose. He had her pointed nose, though his was the same colour as his father's.

Perhaps he would have her jade eyes. The little orbs were still closed tightly and she knew that they wouldn't open for another couple of weeks. She could wait.

Leaning forward, Ashia tentatively licked her cub. The tiny lion gave another cry and moved towards the source of the lick. In spite of herself, the new mother smiled. This cub was hers! Her little…actually she had been calling him a 'he' but she wasn't sure.

Pulling the baby towards her, she gently nuzzled him so he was led back. She gave him belly a soft lick and checked him over. Yes, he was a boy. Her son. It felt strange to even think it but this little golden ball of fluff was her son.

"My boy." She whispered. "My blessing."

The baby mewled again and wriggled in his mother's grasp. Ashia carefully moved him back to her side and positioned him so he was able to have his first feed. Sharp teeth latched onto her and she found herself actually holding back her growl. She never did that.

Everyone in the pride knew that she was bad tempered and unlikely to censor her actions or words in regards to how aggressive they were. But here she was, fighting her instincts because of this little boy. She had heard that motherhood changed lionesses and she had never believed it until now. Now she had one of her own and she could already feel herself changing; for him. She had no intention to fight it. If she had to change to be the best mother she could be for her baby boy then she would.

She studied the baby and marvelled at his tiny paws. It was remarkable to think that one day she was that tiny. A part of her wondered how he was going to grow up to be big and strong. A realisation shot through her that that was down to her. Panic began to seize the lioness for the first time since the baby was born.

How was she going to do it? She wasn't exactly a model citizen. She was bad tempered and had shown several times that she had a bad mouth. How exactly was she going to raise this little boy to be a kind and decent lion?

Perhaps Obi could help. Her brother. Her kind and loyal brother. If anyone could help set this cub on the right path, Obi would be able to. He was King Duna's right hand man after all and had demonstrated his loyalty to the pride and good heart numerous times.

The cub detached himself from his mother's teat and let out a loud mew. Gently Ashia pulled him round to face her and the tiny cub waved around his paws. The new mother pushed her muzzle into her son's pale paws, her dark brown nose resting mere inches away from the cub's pale orange pointed nose.

She stared at his brown lidded closed eyes and smiled. The brown continued to just under his ear and the paler lower lid, the same colour as his toes, mirrored the brown but it also trailed down to his lower jaw. The pale markings continued across his tiny body, joining up his toes with his underbelly fur and tail. He also had a pale upper muzzle while the lower part was the same shade of brown as his upper eye circle and the dots on his tiny ears.

He really was a handsome baby boy and Ashia was immediately convinced that he was the most gorgeous baby lion within the pride. She couldn't wait to show him off to all the other mothers. She was probably biased, but the new mother didn't really care. He was her son and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to show him off with pride.

"My baby boy." She muttered, licking up the cub's belly. "I probably should name you."

The cub mewed as if in response and Ashia chuckled. "Soon, baby. Soon."

She laid her head down next to him and watched as the baby began to suck on his own paw. She had probably done that once, in fact Obi had told her that she had, but she couldn't help but think that this behaviour was unique to her son. He was the most precious thing she had ever seen.

Her son didn't look a thing like her. He was brown while she was a dark coffee colour and his markings were pale and crossing across his legs and stomach, while hers were brown and were stripes that crossed down her back. She had freckles painting her cheeks and he didn't. Her toes were all different shades of brown, and his were the same pale colour. In fact, apart from nose shape, the only thing they had in common were the dot markings on their ears.

However she found she didn't care. He was hers and she would his mother for as long as they both lived. She would do anything for him and he was perfect in her eyes. She would fight anyone who dared say otherwise.

The cub yawned and moved closer to Ashia's head. He snuggled into her cheek and the lioness smiled. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Before she knew it she was asleep, dreaming of a time where her son was older and they and Obi played together in the savannah. She had a smile on her face that night.

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Please Read and Review :D


	2. Chapter 2

Hey all :D I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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**Chapter Two**

**Uncle Obi**

Two days later, Ashia and her new baby were up for visitors. The first one in line was her brother, Obi. Obi didn't have Ashia's markings and was a rusty red colour with dark eye circles, brown eyes and a two toned mane. In fact the only thing they had in common was their nose. Obi took after their mother with his father's eyes, while Ashia took after their father with their mother's eyes. But the siblings were very close in every way but looks.

"Ashia?" Obi called as he stepped into the den.

For a moment, the mid-day sun blinded him but when it cleared he was easily able to spot his sister. She was curled up against the back wall of the birthing cave with a brown cub wrapped in her paws. She seemed happier than Obi had ever seen her.

"Motherhood suits you."

Ashia grinned at him as he approached. "Obi, it's so good to see you."

The lion trotted over and gently nuzzled his sister. He glanced down at the cub and a soft smile lit up his face, touching his eyes making them warm pools of reddish brown.

"He's gorgeous." He whispered.

Ashia seemed to glow with pride and her chest seemed to puff out a little at Obi's words. She smiled down at her son before glancing up at her brother.

"Isn't he just?"

The cub yawned and both adults grinned at the action. It was far too adorable for either sibling to ignore.

"He looked like his father." Ashia whispered.

Obi glanced at his sister and paused. He had never really seen this soft side to her before and it amazed him. He had seen it only once when they were cubs and he had hurt his paw when they had been playing.

The rest of the time she put on an air of being a tough, no nonsense lioness with a vicious temper, and yet her face was soft and her eyes glowing just because of this tiny cub. He had no doubt that if anyone dared to mess with her baby then her former personality would return with a vengeance. In some ways he missed that lioness. At least he knew how to take her. This new, kinder version of his sister was strange.

He didn't mind it though. It was refreshing.

"Hey little one. I'm your uncle Obi. I'll be there to look out for you, I promise." He whispered, nuzzling his nephew.

Ashia watched him with a slight smile on her face. She knew that would be too. When they were cubs, Obi had been there to help Ashia get to grips with the big, wide world around her. They had a year and half between them and the older lion had been the doting big brother.

"_What's tha'?" _

_The freckled cub was staring at a chameleon as he crossed in front of her. Her violet eyes narrowed and then widened as she tried to work it out. _

_Obi chuckled, coming to sit down beside his baby sister. "It's a chameleon." _

"_Cham-e-leon?" Ashia spelled it out slowly. _

"_It's a reptile." Obi explained. _

_The russet lion cub reached out a paw and gently poked the lizard. The chameleon startled and began to run. But he didn't move very quickly. Each movement involved a slow rocking before putting a foot down. _

_It was very comical and the two cubs began to laugh. Ashia leant forward and in movement that was very soft, she patted the reptile on the head. _

"_Goodbye, mister Cham-e-leon." She whispered. _

_Obi grinned and nuzzled his sister. Ashia giggled and jumped on him, tackling to the ground where they proceeded to roll around in the dusty earth. _

They were best friends until he was called to be a part of King Duna's guard. He had been a teenager then the young lioness had suddenly been left on her own. The other cubs didn't want to play with her because they didn't know her and, honestly, the little lion cub was happy with that. She missed Obi and she didn't want to replace him. So she had adopted her rough and ready façade to show the others that she didn't care and over time the front she put on stopped being just an act.

Now the hard shell that she had built up round her was beginning to crack all because of this brown and pale bundle of fluff led in her paws.

"So, what's my nephew called?" Obi asked as his red brown eyes focussed on the cub.

"Kibwe."

The lion's eyes met his sister's. "Uh, it's nice."

Ashia narrowed her own eyes at him and pulled her son closer to her. She looked down at Kibwe and then back up at Obi.

"What's with the pause?" She demanded.

Obi gulped and sat back on his haunches. He glanced nervously around the cave. He felt like he was trapped between a rock and a hard place as his sister's hard glare bore down on him. He shifted and ran a paw through his caramel and darker brown two toned mane.

"What pause? There was no pause?" He stammered.

Ashia growled. "There was. Now spill it."

Her brother sighed heavily. "Kibwe's not exactly a cute name. I mean there aren't many Kibwe's anymore. It's kind of out dated."

The coffee coloured lioness snarled. "And Obi's a cute name?"

The lion grinned. "Yeah. It's cute and short."

"Nothing like _you_ then."

The grin slipped from Obi's face. "Okay, I deserved that."

Kibwe mewed and wriggled in his mother's grasp and she carefully licked him to comfort him. She smiled down at her son before looking at her brother.

"He's my son and I'll name him what I want." She told him. "His name means blessing, and he's my little blessing."

The russet lion felt a smile creep onto his face again. This was another example that his sister's mask was cracking and fading. She had actually put thought into the name of her baby. When they were little and one of the other lioness cubs had asked her what she wanted to call her cubs, Ashia had literally just pulled two names out of thin air. She had never even considered having cubs and simply hadn't cared about it. Not like the other females.

That had been one of the reasons that she had been rejected by her peers. They all wanted families when they grew up, but Ashia wanted freedom. She'd wanted to travel and see all of Africa. She had wanted to see Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountains in the country, and see the where the mountain top met the night sky. Legend said it was the where the Kings descended to earth during a full moon and part of her had always wondered if it was true.

She had never travelled though. She had grown up and become a lioness, but she had never been outside of the Pride's territory. Her duties had been thrust upon her as a huntress, like her mother before her, and she was forbidden to leave. In fact the only time she set foot outside the boundaries was the day when she met Kibwe's father.

The price of her wandering had been pregnancy. At the beginning she had been horrified to discover she was carrying a cub. She thought it was a terrible exchange for her freedom and she had begged the shaman to help her get rid of it. But the Imani had told her that she couldn't wriggle out of all problems and that she would simply have to bear the consequences of her actions.

Now though she would give up anything to have Kibwe. Obi could see that and he felt proud of her. She had changed so much in so little time. It was remarkable. A true testament to a mother's love for her child.

"So, is anyone else dropping by today?" Ashia asked.

Obi shrugged. "I think Imani said something about dropping by to check on Kibwe, but other than that I don't know. You might have a few of the huntresses come by. They've been talking about you and your cub for days now."

The new mother rolled her violet eyes. The lionesses all liked to gossip and she wasn't surprised that the latest topic was her and Kibwe. She also wouldn't be surprised if they all stopped by in a big group later, all cooing and fawning over her baby. She glanced down at her son and wondered how he would take it. Sure he couldn't see yet but he was bound sense and hear the sheer number of lions in the small cave. She wondered if he would even care or whether he'd cry.

Ashia didn't have to wait long as before Obi even considered leaving the huntresses arrived. As predicted they were all standing together. One of the peppier lionesses, a light grey female named Asante, rushed forward and looked down at the cub. Her amber eyes were fixed on Kibwe and she grinned. Asante was one of her friends amongst the hunting party, but even as she moved closer Ashia found herself fighting her protective instinct.

She glanced side ways at Obi who fought a smirk. He could almost read what was going through her mind, having known her so well, and was amused at how protective she was being. Ashia forced her body to relax a little and she allowed a soft smile to cross her face. Kibwe blindly looked up at his mother and towards the grey lioness now standing over him.

He let out a soft mew and put his paw on Asante's nose. The grey lioness grinned and giggled, her amber eyes softening.

"Aw, he's so cute!" She cooed.

Ashia glanced at Obi before looking down at her baby boy. She gave a soft chuckle and gently licked the cub's cheek.

"Yeah, he is."

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Please Read and Review. So we've met Ashia's brother and finally know the baby's name.


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